Adult acting class

About our Adult Acting Class

Are you interested in drama and performance? Whether you’re a keen amateur, a total beginner, or a professional actor looking for further training, Acting UP’s adult drama class has something for everyone, in a fun and supportive weekly session.

Explore drama and performance, and meet like-minded people, at a social and enjoyable class taught and directed by Unexpected Places Artistic Director Rosanna Sloan.

Acting UP’s drama class for adults runs on Wednesdays, from 7.30pm to 9pm, at Pear Tree Church Hall in Bitterne Park, Southampton. Each session costs £7.50 (pay as you go) and the following discounts are available for block bookings:

Book 6 sessions (to be used in 8 weeks) for £40

Book 10 session (to be used in 14 weeks) for £65

The Benefits of Drama Classes:

Build acting techniques and knowledge
Improve confidence
Develop public speaking skills
Make friends and have fun!

You Will Explore:

Script work
Acting technique
Improvisation
Vocal work
Exploring different practitioner and playwrights in performance

Schedule of Upcoming Classes

Date

Class

Details

3/5/17

Greek Theatre & Plays

A whistle-stop tour through Greek theatre and how performance was very different in those big amphitheatres! We will start by exploring how theatre was used as a ritual, and its original purposes, before moving on to Greek performance. We will look at the Greek chorus, some mask work and some sections of Greek plays such as Antigone, and then piece it all together into a short performance at the end of the second session.

10/5/17

Greek Theatre & Plays

A whistle stop tour through Greek theatre and how performance was very different in those big amphitheatres! We will look at the Greek chorus, some mask work and some sections of Greek plays such as Antigone, and then piece it all together into a short performance at the end of the session.

17/5/17

Theatre Trip

Woman in Black at the Nuffield Theatre. A masterclass in how simplicity can be so effective on stage – and spooky..!

24/5/17

How to Tell a Story

Thinking about the Woman in Black, we will explore storytelling techniques, and how to utilise our bodies and voices to add atmosphere to prepared and improvised stories.

31/5/17

Physical Theatre

What is it and how can it be used to interest an audience? This class is suitable for all abilities. We won’t be doing any cartwheels or “trust falls”, just practically exploring that all theatre should be physical and how we can achieve that.

7/6/17

Commedia Dell’arte

Expect some work with masks, comedy sketches and using our bodies to clearly show character as we discover that this 16th-century Italian style of performance paved the way for comedy, characters and improv. Expect a little bit of tomfoolery…

14/6/17

Comedy & Clowning

Building on last week, we will be clowning around (no big shoes or toy bicycles needed). We will be thinking about how clowning can be an interesting tool for performance.

21/6/17

Approaching Text 1

In these sessions we will be using Stanislavski and other theatre practitioners tools to understand text, create a believable character and refine our acting skills. These four sessions work together as an introduction to the start of rehearsing a new play, or approaching a monologue.

28/6/17

Approaching Text 2

In these sessions we will be using Stanislavski and other theatre practitioners tools to understand text, create a believable character and refine our acting skills. These four sessions work together as an introduction to the start of rehearsing a new play, or approaching a monologue.

5/7/17

Building a Character 1

In these sessions we will be using Stanislavski and other theatre practitioners tools to understand text, create a believable character and refine our acting skills. These four sessions work together as an introduction to the start of rehearsing a new play, or approaching a monologue.

12/7/17

Building a Character 2

In these sessions we will be using Stanislavski and other theatre practitioners tools to understand text, create a believable character and refine our acting skills. These four sessions work together as an introduction to the start of rehearsing a new play, or approaching a monologue. Today’s class will culminate in a performance, putting everything together.

19/7/17

Shakespeare

We could spend years getting to grips with Shakespeare and how his shows were performed then and now. But, instead, we are going to cram as much into 90 minutes as possible(!), so that performing a Shakespearean text will no longer be daunting.

26/7/17

Theatre for Change, Boal and Forum Theatre

In these two sessions we will look at how theatre can be used in other ways, not only for performance. Boal was a revolutionary practitioner who used drama games and a technique called Forum Theatre to change people’s opinions and ignite social change – a really fascinating idea that we will explore practically.

2/8/17

Theatre for Change, Boal and Forum Theatre

In these two sessions we will look at how theatre can be used in other ways, not only for performance. Boal was a revolutionary practitioner who used drama games and a technique called Forum Theatre to change people’s opinions and ignite social change – a really fascinating idea that we will explore practically.

9/8/17

A Play in 40 Minutes

That’s right! You have 40 minutes to turn the props and bullet points of a story into a performance and put all your skills to the test. Also, at the end of the session we will be looking through a few plays to select one to perform to an audience next term.

Who are we?

Acting UP provides performing arts education through extracurricular classes and activites. Our engaging and dynamic drama classes currently run in Fareham, Gosport, Wickham, Botley and Southampton.

We are a not-for-proft organisation and our weekly drama classes, which cater for most ages, encourage confidence, imagination, curiosity and teamwork in a supportive and fun environment.